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Two wins for Neethling
26/11/2004 13:22 - (SA)
Melbourne - South Africa's Ryk Neethling won the 100m freestyle and the individual medley over the same distance on Friday on the opening night of a World Cup short-course swim meet at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.
Neethling finished the 100 freestyle in 46.94 seconds ahead of American Olympian Jason Lezak and countryman Nick Brunelli. Neethling also won the medley in 53.01 seconds over Brunelli and Joshua Taylor of Australia.
In other men's events Friday, Yuri Prilukov of Russia won the 400m freestyle and Matt Welsh of Australia took the 50m backstroke in 23.86.
Lisbeth Lenton, the 100m short-course champion, won that event Friday in 53.58 seconds and also took the 50m butterfly
Lenton said she tried not to feel the pressure of being the world's best going into the event.
"I did hear the world champion thing but you try not to focus on that, you focus on your lane and what you're trying to do," Lenton said.
Welsh signalled a return to form with a strong backstroke final victory over the world's best backstroker, American Aaron Peirsol. Welsh missed his own world short-course record by .55 seconds but had too much power for American Randall Bal and third-placed Peirsol.
- AP
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